September songs : the music of Kurt Weill : [program]

A Cabaret Evening to benefit Esprit Orchestra
featuring the North American Premiere of

September

The Music of Kurt Weill

Songs

a film by Rhombus Media Inc.
directed by Larry Weinstein

Friday, January 20, 1995
The Opera House

September Songs
The Music of Kurt Weill

A Cabaret Evening to Benefit Esprit Orchestra

Friday, January 20, 1995 « 8:00 p.m.
The Opera House

Featuring

the North American premiere of
September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill
a film by Rhombus Media directed by Larry Weinstein

and Performances by

Judith Lander - Mary Margaret O’Hara
Joseph Macerollo + Scott Irvine
Members of Esprit Orchestra

Programme
Introduced by Glen Baxter
Arts and Entertainment Reporter CityTV

8:00 p.m. _ buffet

8:35 p.m. Judith Lander (vocalist)
Bruce Harvey (piano) « Bob Hewus (acoustic bass)

Pirate Jenny ¢ Bilbao Song
Mandelay Song « Lonely House

9:00 p.m. September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill

10:30 p.m.
Mary Margaret O’Hara (vocalist)
Members of Esprit Orchestra
Joseph Macerollo (accordion)
Scott Irvine (tuba)
Blair Mackay (percussion)
Rusty McCarthy (guitar)

September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill

Producers: Niv Fichman and Larry Weinstein
Director: Larry Weinstein
Writers: David Mortin and Larry Weinstein
Cinematographer: Horst Zeidler
Production Designer: Michael Levine
Assistant Production Design: | Marian Wihak
Editor: David New
Music Supervisor: Hal Willner
Music: Kurt Weill
Co-production with: ZDF German Television
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Telefilm Canada
RTP Portugal

This tribute to the life and music of Kurt Weill features Lou Reed, Teresa
Stratas, Elvis Costello and the Brodsky String Quartet, Betty Carter, PJ
Harvey, Nick Cave, William S. Burroughs, Charlie Haden, the
Persuasions and a host of others performing many of the composer’s
most celebrated songs, including Mack the Knife, September Song and
Alabama Song. Set in a turn-of-the-century warehouse, the lavish design
echos many of the themes of Weill’s works. From the steely austerity of
a 1930’s factory floor to the glittering spectacle of a Broadway musical
stage, each performance reflects the magic of the music and captures
Weill’s creative spirit.

Judith Lander

Judith Lander is both a singer and songwriter. She has had a successful
stage career in Canada and the United States, playing a starring role in
the first productions of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in
Paris and making frequent appearances on French and English network
television. In Boston she garnered critical acclaim for her starring roles in
several Jacques Brel and Kurt Weill shows. Lander appeared with
Jacques Brel at Carnegie Hall and moved on to Broadway where,
working with Lotte Lenya, she starred in Kurt Weill’s Berlin to
Broadway. Inspired by Brel and Weill, Judith turned her talents to
creating music for dance.

While in New York, Lander began a long-term collaboration with
choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett (Footloose) which resulted in such
critically acclaimed works as Where We Are Now, Diary and Spy. Judith

returned to Toronto to star in the hit musical I’m Getting My Act
Together and Taking it on the Road. Most recently she appeared in
cabaret, performing Weill, Brel and her own music.

Lander has worked collaboratively with such leading Canadian artists as
Karen Kain, Hagood Hardy, Fred Penner and Toller Cranston and has
starred with Jack Weston and Kevin Gray (Miss Saigon) in the Off
Broadway production The Baker’s Wife. Future projects include further
cabaret performances and a film version of Triad, a ballet collaboration
with Patti Caplette of the Royal Winnipeg ballet starring Evelyn Hart and
directed by Barbara Willis Sweete of Rhombus media. Lander’s latest
project, Cabaret Divas, also stars Beth Ann Cole and Kathy Michael
McGlynn.

Mary Margaret O’Hara

Mary Margaret O’Hara is a musician, artist and actress. A busy artist,
O’Hara performs live in clubs, records, acts in film and on the stage, and
has composed for film. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art, she
has also worked as a graphic artist.

Last year she was featured in David Widdicombe’s play Wake at the
Factory Theatre, and her recordings include the CD Miss America.
O’Hara can often be heard live at the New York club Fez, and on the last
Monday of each month can be heard performing with several other
Toronto artists at the Squeeze Club on Queen Street. Her next
performances there are January 31 and Valentine’s Day.

Rhombus Media Inc.

Recognized around the world, Rhombus Media Inc. is Canada’s leading
producer of films and television programs on the performing arts.

Rhombus productions have received many honours including Emmys for
Le Dortoir, Pictures on the Edge and Concerto!; an Academy Award
nomination for Making Overtures; Grammy and Primetime Emmy
nominations for Canadian Brass: Home Movies and All that Bach, and
dozens of awards at festivals in New York, Chicago, San Francisco,
Toronto, Banff, Cannes, Sydney and others.

Rhombus was formed in 1979 by Barbara Willis Sweete and Niv
Fichman. Larry Weinstein joined soon after and the trio has since
produced over 50 films including Ravel; For the Whales; Prokofiev by
Two and My War Years: Arnold Schénberg.

Besides September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill, recently completed
projects include The Sorceress: Kiri Te Kanawa, a baroque opera
fantasy, and Thirty-Two Shorts About Glenn Gould, winner of four
1993 Genie Awards (including Best Motion Picture).

Productions currently underway include The Velvet Gentleman, an
innovative dance special bringing together the music of Erik Satie and the
evocative choreography of Cirque du Soleil’s Debra Brown. It features
prima ballerina Veronica Tennant, Stratford star Nicholas Pennell and a
cast of dancers from the Cirque du Soleil.

Esprit Orchestra

Esprit Orchestra is Canada's only orchestra devoted exclusively to new
music. It was founded in 1983 by Alex Pauk, who continues as the
orchestra's Music Director and Conductor. Esprit has a core of 45
musicians with the special skills needed to perform contemporary
orchestral music. Guest artists have included Maureen Forrester,
Desmond Hoebig, Jon Kimura Parker and Gary Relyea.

Dedicated to the development of a Canadian musical literature, Esprit
commissions and premieres new works each year and facilitates
continued public access to these works through repeat performances,
radio broadcasts and recordings. Esprit has commissioned over 30 new
works by leading Canadian composers such as Harry Somers, John Rea
and R. Murray Schafer.

Committed as well to setting new, Canadian music within an international
context, Esprit has performed the Canadian premieres of works by such
composers as Toru Takemitsu, John Adams and Kryzsztof Penderecki.

In March 1991, Esprit released its first CD of all-Canadian music, Esprit
Orchestra (CBC SMCD5101). A second all-Canadian CD was released
in January 1994, Iridescence (CBC SMCD5132). A third disc will be
recorded this coming spring. |

In 1990 Esprit was awarded Socan's Award of Merit in recognition of the
orchestra's imaginative programming of contemporary music, and for its
commitment to Esprit, Suncor Inc. received two Financial Post Awards
for Business and the Arts.

Members of Esprit Orchesira

Esprit Orchestra
Sekai performing this evening
Alex Pauk Violin |
Music Director and Conductor on
Anne Armstrong
. Laurel Mascarenhas

Board of Dir rs 1994-95

pardior Directo i Michael Sproule
President: Paul Mingay Janie Kim

Ellen Farrugia

Ri
Treasurer: Jeffrey Rintoul Marie Berard

Secretary: David Novak

Violin Il
Nicola Clayton .
Jamna Dayaram se sisemeea
Margery Griffith aul Zevenhuizen

Alexina Louie Yakov ete
Anita Nielsen te z eee
Ellen Nichols armela Attariwala

Audrey Stefanovich Noel Laporte

S. Phillip Tingley Viola

Douglas Perry
Beverley Spotton
Angela Rudden

Cello

Paul Widner
Elaine Thompson
Maurizio Baccante
Marianne Pack

Bass
Robert Speer

Esprit Orchestra Acknowledges the Following
for Their Generous Support of Tonight’s Event:

: CP <x ¥ “Wo rdable Gr uccllence
UPPER R CANADA
€>

The Canadian Film Centre

Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce Inc.
Esprit Orchestra Musicians

The Goethe Institute

Scott Irvine

Silke Iudelbach

Judith Lander

Lein Delicatessen Ltd.

Joseph Macerollo

Blair Mackay

Lewis Nicholson

Mary Margaret O'Hara

Mévenpick Restaurants

Piller Sausages & Delicatessens Limited
Rhombus Media Inc.

Peter Sinclair

Matthew Talbot-Kelly

Event Committee Volunteers

Event Chair: David Novak Jenni-Leigh Girard
Karen Huschilt

Nicola Clayton Donna McMahon

Scott Garvie Sharon McMahon

Margery Griffith Sharon Wallace

Corinne Pon

Elwood Saracuse

Larry Weinstein